CH 16

That day, Rosalie Bettina Reuning made a sudden discovery.

(No!)

She was staring back at herself in her full-length mirror, her hair being brushed by her lady’s maid, as usual.

But she found that the wrinkles in her face, which were about to be covered up with makeup, had increased again. When her eyes widened in surprise, the small wrinkles at the corners of her eyes seemed to stand out even more.

Her mind understood that this was nothing strange since she was now over forty, and that her loving husband would never give up on her over something like this.

(…No, really.)

A wry smile broke out on her face. Even though she had given birth to three children and was now over forty, she still felt like a maiden in love. She wanted to stay as young and beautiful as possible and receive her husband’s unchanging love.

She was embarrassed about it, so she never said anything about it to her husband.

She smiled and said, It’s nothing, to her lady’s maid, who gently asked her if something was the matter. She watched herself being made ready as the Duchess of Reuning.

It was a cool and pleasant autumn afternoon with some lingering heat, and the Duke and Duchess of Reuning were having an exceedingly private time with their children in their magnificent garden.

Rosalie, who had been first to arrive in the garden to instruct the servants on preparations, was greeted by a cheerful voice.

“Good morning, Mother!”

“Good morning, Patricia.”

Turning around and seeing her beloved daughter, Rosalie smiled warmly.

Patricia, who would be turning seventeen this year, was the second of her three children and, being a daughter, looked most like Rosalie.

She had bright red hair, large eyes, and a very expressive face. She was full of vitality and winsomeness, just like her mother. Her eyes were a subdued golden color, which Rosalie wondered if she had inherited from her husband.

A little later, a young man, much taller than Patricia but still boyish, appeared.

Patricia called out to him in an easygoing tone.

“You’re late, Louis!”

“Sorry, sorry. But I’m not late at all, you know? Good morning, Mother, Sister.”

The boy laughed cheerfully and gave a slightly jesting bow. Even when he was joking around, there was no disagreeableness in it, and it was extremely elegant–probably taking after his father. Rosalie suddenly thought that and smiled.

Louis was the third child and the youngest, one year younger than Patricia, and sixteen years old.

Just as Patricia was much like her mother, Louis was much like his father. He had short, well-groomed silver hair and gentle golden eyes. He had a well-shaped nose and a full mouth.

The color of his eyes were more gentle than his father’s, almost wheat-colored, making his eyes look even softer and calmer.

Even without a parent’s partiality for their own children, Louis’ beauty stood out. He was like an incarnation of spring sunshine. The blood of Reuning’s “living jewel” was truly frightening.

While the three of them were chatting at the table, the master of the house soon arrived.

Patricia noticed and stood up enthusiastically.

“Father! Welcome home!”

“I’m home, princess. Oh, you’re not going to jump into my arms?”

“Ugh, I’m not a child anymore!”

Patricia raised her eyebrows, her cheeks reddening.

The Duke of Reuning approached them and greeted his son Louis as well, and then embraced Rosalie, who stood up belatedly. They lightly brushed their lips against each other’s cheeks.

In the past, she had even been embarrassed to make such an intimate gesture–Rosalie suddenly recalled this and smiled.

“Welcome home, Bright.”

Bright, the Duke of Reuning, smiled a radiant smile.

He was older than Rosalie, in his late forties. But his good looks, which gave him the nicknames of “living jewel,” the Sun of Reuning, and the golden-eyed young lord, had hardly diminished at all.

His silver hair, which was trimmed to same length as his youngest son’s, had a subdued hue that added a touch of elegance to his appearance. His golden eyes, which had earned him the nickname “the sun,” still had a beauty that attracted people, and if one looked closely, one could see small wrinkles around his cool eyes.

However, there was no one who could guess his true age when they first meet him. At worst, he looked to be in his late thirties.

This might be due to the fact that he enjoyed outdoor activities and still maintained a toned and fit physique.

――In fact, it might be because Bright looked so young that Rosalie worried about the smallest wrinkles.

As she gazed at him unintentionally, Bright suddenly smiled mischievously. It made him look even younger.

“Did you fall in love with me again just now?”

“…D-Don’t say such foolish things! You’re embarrassing!”

Rosalie’s cheeks reddened in spite of herself and she turned her face away.

Their daughter and son were looking at them with wry smiles on their faces. They were a couple that were unusually affectionate for aristocrats.

After turning her face away to hide her embarrassment, Rosalie suddenly realized something.

“Where’s Lloyd? Wasn’t he with you?”

“No, I came alone. Did you contact him?”

Bright asked back, and Rosalie nodded.

Then Louis lowered his eyebrows and sighed, as though he was completely stymied.

“I don’t think he’s coming. He seems to be working on something lately. Or…he’s been caught up with some young lady again.”

“Again? Is that more important than me and his family?”

“…Sister, you’re talking like you’re Brother’s wife.”

“Be silent!”

Good grief, Patricia raised her eyebrows.

Rosalie also raised her eyebrows, though not as much as Patricia. This wasn’t the first time Lloyd didn’t come to this kind of event.

It was for Patricia’s sake that they had Bright, who was busy as the central figure of the House of Lords that supported the king, make time for them and get together as a family.

Patricia was getting married soon. For her, who loved her family, and for Rosalie herself, they wanted to have a family gathering time for relaxation, meager as it might be.

(That child is…)

Rosalie felt an indescribable emotion when she thought of the young man who was her son, but was so different from Patricia and Louis.